Interrupter lever



March 27, 1934. G. J. LANG El AL INTERRUPTER LEVER Filed June 5, 1933 FiEnl I NVENTORS. Gus 7/! v: u. L AA/G ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERRUPTER LEVER Application June 3, 1933, Serial No. 674,164

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in circuit breaker levers or interrupters; and particularly an interrupter lever for carrying a movable contact in the energizing or low tension circuit of an ignition system for an internal combustion engine.

An object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker lever adapted for high speed. engines and therefore made light but strong and capable of rapid operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an interrupter lever that is light but strong and durable; and shaped so that it can be properly mounted for oscillation upon a suitable support or pivot, with the movable contact or terminal which it-carries and a member which is engaged by the element for actuating the lever, eiiectually secured thereon. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are fully set forth in the ensuing description and the novel features are pointed out in the appended claims. But the disclosure is, of course, illustrative only and changes may be made which do not depart from the principle of the invention or exceed the scope and meaning of the broad terms in which the claims are expressed.

On the drawing: Fig. l is a side View of a blank or piece of metal out of which the interrupter lever is formed;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the completed interrupter lever according to this invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view seen from the right of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a left side view of the interrupter lever viewed in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed vew of one end of the interrupter lever seen from the lower side of Fig. 2.

On the drawing the same numerals identify the same parts throughout.

The lever is formed out of a blank or strip of metal 1 having the form shown in Fig. 1. This blank comprises two halves or arms 2 and 3 arranged at an angle to each other, with an enlarged portion or elbow 4 at their junction. The portion 4 is provided with an aperture 5 surrounded on one side of the blank with a flange or rim 6; this rim being in one piece with the blank and being shaped when the blank itself is first stamped out. The arm or half 3 is provided near the outer end with two projections '7 .55 extending from an edge thereof and the arm or half 2 is provided with a lateral projection 9 at the corresponding edge about half-way between the elbow 4 and the extremity of the arm 2.

After the blank 1 with the rim 6 is stamped out, it is worked further so as to bend over the end of the arm 3 to carry projections 7 into positions shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 and to impart to these projections a slightly rounded form so as to provide a seat for a platinum or tungsten contact or terminal 8. For this purpose the extremity of the arm is doubled upon itself between the projections 7 at one end, while at the same time these projections are bent and rounded, portions of these projections forming the bottom of a socket in which the terminal 8 is placed, and the rounded edges of these projections engaging the opposite sides of the terminal adjacent the face which rests on the seat provided by the projections 7. This terminal may be secured to its seat in any suitable manner.

The other arm 2 having the projection 9 is likewise worked by bending to give it the form desired. The edge of this arm having the projection 9 has shoulders 10 at each side of this projection; both shoulders of the projection lying between the portion 4 and the outer extremity 11 of the arm 2. When its final shape has been imparted to this arm of the interrupter lever, the parts will occupy the positions shown, for example, in Figs. 2 and 6. The extremity 11 of this arm will engage one side of the arm near the portion 4 while the portions or lengths of the arms 2 having the shoulders 10 will be disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of the arm 2, one of these portions being connected directly to that part of the arm which extends to the portion 4 and the other to the extremity 11. That portion or length of the arm 2 which carries the projection 9 will also be in transverse position but spaced from the portions having the shoulders 10. Thus there will be formed on the outer end of this arm a sleeve or socket in which is placed a fibre block 12. This block will be engaged by a cam which rotates when the engine is in operation and periodically actuates the interrupter lever so as to cause it to remove the terminal 8 from engagement with a similar fixed terminal, not shown, but also in circuit; and thus break the circuit to provide the spark at the proper instant. The projection 9 is bent down so as to be parallel with the long axis of the arm 2 and to this arm is attached a spring 13 which is also secured to a fixed point and acts to oppose the cam and normally move the lever to cause the terminal 8 to engage the cooperating stationary terminal. Rivets 14 may be employed to secure the fibre block 12 to the arm 2 and to attach the spring 13 to the projection 9.

At 15 is shown a suitable bushing or sleeve that is received within the opening 5 and encircled by the rim 6. This bushing projects to both sides of the interrupter lever and engages the pivot or support upon which the interrupter lever is mounted. This sleeve may be of insulation or any other desired material.

An interrupter constructed as described is small and li ht in weight. At the same time it can be properly mounted upon its pivot and since all of the stresses thereon due to the cam engaging the rubbing block 12 and the opposing force of the spring 13 is exerted edgewise of the arms 2 and 3, there is no danger of the lever being bent or deformed in practice; but on the contrary, it can be operated at high speeds with great certainty and efdciency to close and open an ignition system as required. At the same time it is inexpensive to produce because of the small size and of the few parts in the design thereof.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. An interrupter lever comprising an arm having lateral projections adjacent one end, said arm being doubled back upon itself between said projections, the latter being shaped to provide a seat for a contact terminal carried by said lever.

2. An interrupter lever comprising an arm which is provided with a pair of projections at one edge near end thereof, said being bent at said end between said projections and thus doubled upon itself, said projections being worked to turn them away from each other and then bend up their edges in rounded form to provide a circular socket for a contact terminal, the sides of which are engaged by the edges of said projections.

3. A contact terminal comprising an arm which has portions at its outer end bent to provide a socket to receive and encircle a rubbing block secured therein.

l. A contact terminal comprising an arm I which has portions at its outer end bent to provide a socket to receive and encircle a rul'abing block secured therein, and a projection at one end of said socket which is bent over said end to enable an operating spring to be secured to said arm.

5. An interrupter lever comprising an arm which has shouldered portions and a projection between said portions on one edge, said arm being bent so that the extremity thereof is doubled against one side of said arm and the shouldered portions and the section of said arm between said portions form a socket to receive a rubbing block, the projection being bent across one end of said socket.

6. An interrupter lever having a portion at the end which is doubled back, said portion and the adjacent portion of said lever being shaped to provide a seat for a terminal, said lever also hav-- ing a bearing aperture and means to carry a rubbing block to enable said lever to be operated when mounted.

'7. An interrupter lever having a portion at one end bent upon itself to form an encircling socket receiving a rubbing block, said lever also having a bearing aperture and means for enabling a terminal to be mounted upon said lever.

8. An "-iterrupter lever having opposed portions bent to receive and encircle a terminal attached to the lever, the latter also carrying a rubbing block and having a bearing aperture through the lever.

9. An interrupter lever having portions which are bent to form an encircling socket, a rubbing block in said socket, said lever also having a bearing aperture and a terminal mounted on said lever.

19. An interrupter lever having portions which are bent to form an encircling socket, a rubbing block in said socket, said lever also having a bearing aperture and a terminal mounted on said lever, said lever having a projection which is bent across one end of said socket and the rubbing block therein.

GUSTAVE J. LANG. LOUIS BEEH. JOHN F. MARTIN. 

